The states were all finalists in last year’s competition and won for making commitments to invest in college and career prep, particularly in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math. California could have won too but the state’s application was incomplete.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan also threatened that one of last year’s winners, Hawaii, could lose more than $70 million of its grant for failing to keep its promises.

Last Friday, the Obama administration doled out $500 million in Race to the Top grants for pre-K programs in California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington.